Mike Martin
Airbus Industrie will make a launch decision on the 100-seat A318 aircraft by the end of the year - and has chosen the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 engine for the aircraft, it was announced at the show yesterday.
The decision sees the European company move away from its traditional narrowbody engine suppliers CFM International and International Aero Engines.
INTEREST
At the same time the company says it now believes the A3XX megajumbo is likely to cost $10 billion - up from previous estimates that it would cost $8 billion. And it revealed that it is still working closely with AVIC of China.
On the A318, Airbus chief executive officer Noel Forgeard said: "We will be ready to launch this programme at the end of the year" subject to sufficient customer interest. Asked why the cost of the A3XX project had risen, Forgeard cited a range of additional issues, from the cost of jigs and tools to safety. "It is a classic evolution of this type of aircraft project," he said.
SECRET
Forgeard revealed that a "secret project" is under way which will see China's AVIC make some Airbus components under licence.
Airbus and AVIC of China were the key movers in the project to develop the AE31X 'Asian Express' airliner which was cancelled earlier this year.
"We were impressed by the skills and business sense of our partners, especially the Chinese partners.
"We have defined with them a new and still confidential project, the details of which we will disclose later in the year," said Forgeard who said that the project is not another aircraft.
Source: Flight Daily News
